A master plan has revealed Lincoln's ongoing £70 million Cornhill Quarter redevelopment will include a large plot which would be suitable for a major department store.

And a city council contractor has revealed that the new 1,000-space multi-story car park at Lincoln Transport Hub is being built to the specification required by a large chain like John Lewis.

Shoppers have been told not to get excited at the prospect of a massive new department store in the city, as nothing has been confirmed.

But Lincolnshire Coop has revealed it is in talks with a number of "exciting names" over the next phases of the regeneration following completion of the Corn Exchange revamp and the new car park and bus station.

A large 'destination store' to act as an anchor for the development would seem to make economic sense - and the designs suggest that the neither the Co-op or the City of Lincoln Council have given up on the idea.

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The masterplan for the area published by Lincolnshire Co-op shows the potential to add two extra new large retail spaces to the redevelopment work that is currently ongoing.

The Cornhill Quarter Masterplan

One plot is a staggering 20,000 square feet, and stretches from the Cornhill, around Sincil Street and onto St Mary's street.

But the Co-op has said this will be split into a number of different units.

The other possible development area is on the site of a Co-op foodstore, Boyes and the Central Post Office, and is of a similar size.

The Co-op says any future development will be tailored to the needs of the retailer who wants to move in. This will probably be the most suitable site in the development for a major department store.

Both plots are bigger than the current M&S and Primark stores in Lincoln High Street.

A Coop spokesman said: “The remaining elements of the Cornhill Quarter development will be phased over the next two to three years, with a flexible programme allowing us to develop in phases to tie in with new brands signing up for space.

“The Cornhill Quarter vision is about transforming the whole area, benefiting both local traders and the people who live, work, visit and shop in the city.

"This is a long term project which will be completed in phases over a number of years.

“As part of the first phase of the redevelopment, we are expecting Cosy Club, Flying Tiger Copenhagen and Moss Bros to open in the Corn Exchange building by Autumn and the community will also see the significant works being undertaken to the public space surround the Grade II listed building.

“We are in talks with a number of other exciting names and will be making further announcements in due course, as we prepare for the remaining phases of the redevelopment.”

Meanwhile, the council's developer involved in building the transport hub told Lincolnshire Live that the new car park is being built to the specifications a major department store chain would require.

David Reid, operations manager at the council’s contractor Willmott Dixon, said: “The car park has been built to the standards that John Lewis would expect of a multi-storey car park.

“This is better than the car park for John Lewis at Highcross in Leicester.”

David Reid, Willmott Dixon

A department store to anchor the redevelopment was part of the original £100m plans unveiled for the Cornhill area, dubbed the Lindongate plan.

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That plan was unveiled by the Co-op almost a decade ago, but never managed to get off the ground because development partner Modus went bust.

John Lewis ruled itself out of a move into the £150 million redevelopment of the St Mark's Centre in Lincoln in June and when approached about the possibility of a move to the Cornhill Quarter a spokesman for the retail giant said they currently "have no plans" to move into the city.

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A City of Lincoln Council spokesman said the car park had not been designed specifically to attract John Lewis to the city.

However the spokesman added: "The car park is being built to a high specification in order to be attractive to new retailers in general and act as a catalyst for further growth in the city.”

The transport hub entrance from Sincil Street

Jim Hanrahan, chairman of the City of Lincoln planning committee, said: “It may be that the Co-op is keeping the shell of the City Square Centre which is already there and redeveloping the inside.

“I think because there are plans for a department store at the St Marks redevelopment, and there is a plan to redevelop the space behind the car park at the transport hub, the rumours that John Lewis are coming will be around for a long time.

“What is clear from what Lincolnshire Coop and the owners of St Marks are saying, is that there is demand from retailers wanting to come to Lincoln.

“We don’t just want shops in Lincoln to be moving around, we want new offers coming in.”